Managing honeybees can be a very rewarding enterprise and a profitable sideline. You may want to keep bees for the honey they produce or for the pollination they provide.

Worldwide, honeybee numbers, adequate pollination for food crops and honey production continue to decline. While research has provided many answers, success in beekeeping lies with healthy bees, good nectar flows and knowledgeable honeybee managers.

For the more experienced beekeeper or for the beginner that wants to learn more about managing beehives, the Western Pennsylvania Beekeeping Seminar will be offered Feb. 15 and 16 at the Four Points by Sheraton, Pittsburgh North, Mars.

Evening sessions on Feb. 15 begin at 7 p.m. On Feb. 16, registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the meeting adjourns at 4:30 p.m.

The program is being conducted by Penn State Extension is Cooperation with the PA State Beekeepers Association.

The program offers a variety of topics including, but not limited to:

• Bee behaviors

• Nosema

• Swarm management

• Cooking with honey

• Chemical control treatment for honeybee diseases and pests

• Feeding bees

• Integrated pest management: pollinator-friendly gardening

• Winterizing bees

Registrations of $50 per person are required by Feb. 7. The full registration fee includes an information packet and lunch.

A second family member or guest of the primary registrant may attend for a fee of $30. Youth registrations, 18 years of age and younger, are $30.

Registrations are being accepted online at http://agsci.psu.edu/beekeeping-seminar or call 724-774-3003 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For a brochure detailing the seminar schedule and additional registration information, please contact the Butler County Extension Office at 724-287-4761, Ext. 222.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities.

If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Penn State Extension in Beaver County at 724-774-3003 in advance of your participation or visit.

This material is submitted by Donna Zang, extension director, and the staff of the Penn State Extension office at the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center complex.